This invention relates to an emergency escape device, more particularly to a flexible support affixed to the inside of an enclosure installed on an inside building wall beneath a pre-existing window.
Flexible emergency escape devices used in conjunction with a window are known in the prior art. U.S. Pat. No. 639,902 discloses a window casing modified to contain a flexible wire and pipe ladder attached to a frame that can be extended over the windowsill to the building exterior. U.S. Pat. No. 1,397,643 discloses a window casing modified to contain a system of cables engaged by pulleys allowing escape over the windowsill and down the exterior building wall. The ladders and cables of these inventions are substantially different from the flexible and compact support of the present invention, the enclosure of which can be attached to a pre-existing window area, yet firmly held in conjunction therewith. U.S. Pat. No. 654,415 discloses a reel and rope assembly for attachment to an inside or outside building wall. The manner of attachment of this device and the method of storage and deployment of the flexible support are substantially different from the present invention. Neither is the device designed to blend in with the interior building decor, as is the present invention. U.S. Pat. No. 4,445,589 discloses a window assembly including a storable fire escape ladder. The patent shows a manner of access to the ladder portion substantially different from the present invention, and requires the use of a specially designed window. U.S. Pat. No. 4,161,998 discloses a flexible rope-like support with four-to-five-inch-diameter beads spaced axially along substantially the entire length of the support. The patent disclosure suggests storage of the support in a transparent bag attached to a building room wall. None of these patents shows the use of a fire-resistant chain portion as used in the present invention.